Despite the tremendous progress made over the years in improving California’s air quality, regions of the state are still plagued with high levels of ozone and particle pollution. Ozone burns the lungs and particle pollution is associated with premature deaths.

Emissions from port activities are a large source of pollution, and as pollution from cars drops, emissions from port activities — including from ships, trains and trucks — are a growing share of the problem. People who live near freight faculties are exposed to especially high levels of pollution.

Attaining air quality standards will provide significant public health protection for those who live in the region, and the benefits are projected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to total $173 billion in cumulative health benefits between now and 2031.

Last month, the California Air Resources Board adopted a visionary plan to address Southern California’s air- quality challenges and ensure that all Californians, no matter where they live, can breathe clean, healthful air.

The state’s plan calls for new standards for trucks that are 90 percent cleaner than the trucks on the region’s freeways today. Also under the plan, CARB would set durability requirements to ensure new trucks stay clean throughout their lifetime.

The technologies to do this exist now and are being used on engines today.

The plan establishes a goal of having more than 4 million electric passenger cars on the road by 2030. To complement this growing fleet of cleaner vehicles, the South Coast Air District would take important actions to achieve pollution reductions from large industrial facilities such as refineries.

Finally, the plan calls on the federal government to do its part by setting clean standards for trucks that come to California from other states, trains that travel from our ports throughout the country, and for the ships that bring cargo to our ports.

At the day-long CARB hearing, the board heard from more than 50 ordinary members of the public, many of whom live in the communities that bear the brunt of the pollution from the ports and other freight hubs. In response to their concerns, the board took a straightforward action the same day, directing its staff to return in one year with concepts for alternative ways to deploy the cleanest technologies and accelerate progress toward clean air.

The decision was not made behind closed doors. The action was taken after a full and open discussion in public that was webcast on the internet. The debate covered a wide range of options, analyzing the most effective way to move forward with cleaner vehicles and equipment to address all the required goals.

There was no discussion about an approach to limit cargo through-put or limit economic activity. On the contrary, CARB’s focus is on reducing emissions while increasing freight efficiency and increasing cargo throug-put.

In fact, promoting the efficiency and competitiveness of California’s ports is at the heart of our efforts to clean up the way we move cargo and goods throughout the state.

The decision that was taken was fully in keeping with the existing trajectory California is taking to move ahead on achieving clean air, meeting our climate goals and driving economic growth.

California leads the nation and the world in clean energy, and in actively promoting and supporting zero and near-zero vehicle technologies. The action CARB took last month sets out a dynamic plan for the 21st century that ensures that cleaner air for our residents, thriving ports for our business community, and a growing economy go hand in hand.

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